Indonesia Protests Turn Violent; Scores Detained

By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

JAKARTA (Worthy News) – Violence erupted around Indonesia’s parliament in the capital, Jakarta, on Thursday night as police fired tear gas and deployed water cannon against protesters, while authorities detained scores of people accused of seeking to exploit nationwide demonstrations to create unrest.

Several protesters were reportedly injured, including people suffering head wounds, breathing difficulties and eye irritation from tear gas, while ambulances and medical personnel were seen moving through the area.

Christians in the region told Worthy News they are concerned about the possibility of further bloody unrest in the world’s largest Muslim nation. “Please pray for Indonesia,” a Christian house church leader said.

Clashes broke out after security forces moved demonstrators away from the parliament complex toward the Pejompongan and Slipi areas of Jakarta, where protesters and police exchanged stones and fireworks, according to witnesses and local media.

Dramatic video footage obtained by Worthy News showed large fires raging in the streets as people ran through debris-strewn roads during the nighttime unrest. Other footage showed crowds near burning fires, lines of riot police carrying shields moving through the area, and flames raging behind a security gate as tensions intensified.

The violence followed hours of demonstrations by students and other groups in Jakarta, Yogyakarta on Java, and Makassar on Sulawesi, marking the first anniversary of the deadly anti-government unrest of 2025, while protesting government policies and demanding tougher measures against corruption.

POLICE DETAIN DOZENS

Jakarta police confirmed that 65 people had been detained in what authorities described as preventive operations aimed at stopping attempts to disrupt Thursday’s demonstrations.

Police said 63 were detained by criminal investigators and two by cybercrime officers, while investigators sought to determine the roles of those being questioned.

Authorities also seized 39 bladed weapons, two airsoft guns, seven containers of gasoline and 201 glass bottles fitted with wicks that police suspected were intended for Molotov cocktails, explained Jakarta Metropolitan Police spokesman Budi Hermanto.

Investigators said they were tracing funding allegedly used to obtain weapons and other materials, including money believed to have come from individuals, other donors and online fundraising.

It remained unclear whether all those detained were directly involved in the demonstrations, and police claimed the operations were not intended to prevent Indonesians from peacefully exercising their constitutional right to protest.

THOUSANDS TAKE TO STREETS

Despite the police actions, thousands of protesters eventually gathered outside parliament as Thursday’s demonstrations continued, including students from several universities and members of civil society groups.

Demonstrators voiced a range of demands, including stronger action against corruption, lower prices for staple foods and an end to what some called the “militarization” of Indonesian society, while students also called for an end to President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free-meals program.

“We chose August 27 to commemorate because last year there were riots and various other incidents. And today we want to convey our aspirations, not cause riots,” student representative Kahirul Ammar told reporters.

Another group, the United Pati Community Alliance from Central Java province, pressed parliament to approve legislation allowing authorities to confiscate assets linked to crimes such as corruption and money laundering.

However, demonstrators remained around parliament, and the situation deteriorated after nightfall as police began forcing crowds away from the complex.

TEAR GAS FIRED

Police initially deployed water cannon to disperse remaining demonstrators outside parliament, sending protesters running toward surrounding neighborhoods.

Clashes subsequently spread into the nearby Palmerah area of West Jakarta as police pushed protesters away from the parliament complex, with security forces firing tear gas as protesters sought to hold their positions.

Local journalists reported protesters throwing stones and firing fireworks toward police, while security forces responded with tear gas. Some demonstrators were seen being taken away with injuries.

The unrest also disrupted transportation in the Indonesian capital, with sections of major roads becoming difficult or impossible to pass as demonstrators and security forces confronted each other.

Thursday’s confrontation marked a dramatic change from earlier in the day, when much of the protest outside parliament had remained peaceful.

DISRUPTION IN JAKARTA

A Christian lawyer in Jakarta told Worthy News that many people had difficulties reaching their offices amid the unrest and that some employees were instructed to work from home.

Christians spoke to Worthy News of a rapidly deteriorating security situation in the Indonesian capital, amid broader concerns about the future of the world’s largest Muslim nation.

Several livestreams monitored by Worthy News temporarily went offline as tensions escalated, although coverage and footage later reappeared on social media.

Police said communications devices were among items seized during their operations, along with weapons and materials they suspected could be used to make Molotov cocktails.

Authorities did not immediately suggest that the seizures were related to the interruptions observed in online coverage.

DEADLY 2025 PROTESTS

The rallies came a year after widespread protests against lawmakers’ privileges, government spending priorities, economic hardship and alleged corruption escalated into some of Indonesia’s worst unrest in years.

Last year’s protests intensified after motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan was struck and killed by a police tactical vehicle during demonstrations in Jakarta.

At least 10 people were reported killed during the 2025 unrest, while nearly 7,000 people were detained as demonstrations spread across Jakarta and numerous other Indonesian cities.

Human rights investigators subsequently accused Indonesian security forces of using excessive force, including beatings and improper deployment of tear gas and water cannon. Authorities maintained that security forces were confronting rioting, arson and looting as well as peaceful protesters.

Yet those memories contributed to heightened concern Thursday as Indonesians again took to the streets.

SECURITY IN MEDAN

Christians in Medan told Worthy News they saw a massive security presence around the North Sumatra provincial parliament building and other sites amid concerns that unrest could spread.

The security measures recalled scenes in Medan during last year’s unrest, when protesters clashed with police as demonstrations spread across the vast Indonesian archipelago.

On Thursday, tensions rose again in Medan when dozens of students pushed against the gates of City Hall and threatened to enter unless officials met them.

However, Medan police chief Jean Calvijn Simanjuntak personally intervened as a negotiator, and city representatives eventually met the demonstrators. The rally ended peacefully, with police and protesters even cleaning up the area together afterward.

Elsewhere, hundreds of students demonstrated in Yogyakarta, demanding stronger anti-corruption measures, greater regional autonomy and an end to what they called the militarization of civilian life.

PROTESTS SPREAD FURTHER

In Makassar, demonstrations were reported at numerous locations, including a rally by maritime workers near a major flyover, where protesters burned tires while voicing concerns about economic conditions and law enforcement.

More than 1,400 security personnel had been prepared for demonstrations across Makassar as authorities sought to prevent the rallies from descending into the kind of unrest seen last year.

The demonstrations across several islands underscored the broader reach of Thursday’s protests beyond the clashes surrounding Indonesia’s national parliament in Jakarta.

Thursday’s renewed unrest also comes amid signs of declining public support for President Prabowo, whose approval rating fell to 38 percent in August, according to a poll by leading investigative publication Tempo.

A major source of public dissatisfaction has been Prabowo’s costly free-meals program, which has faced governance problems, mass outbreaks of food poisoning and legal challenges.

PRESSURE ON PRABOWO

Chief Security Minister Djamari Chaniago stressed before Thursday’s demonstrations that the deployment of security personnel was not intended to suppress freedom of expression.

“We will escort them so that their aspirations can be conveyed properly,” he said.

But Thursday night’s clashes underscored the challenge facing Prabowo’s government as it seeks to contain public anger over corruption, living costs and government priorities while avoiding a repeat of the deadly unrest that engulfed Indonesia a year ago.

The unrest in Southeast Asia’s largest economy is also being closely watched by investors, who are assessing the potential impact of political and security tensions on Indonesian assets.

Yet Indonesia’s stock market proved resilient Thursday, with the benchmark Jakarta Composite Index closing 1.81 percent higher at 6,521.75, gaining 116.06 points despite the daytime demonstrations.

The gain followed a 1.48 percent decline Wednesday as investors adopted a more cautious stance ahead of the rallies. However, Thursday’s market had closed before the more serious nighttime clashes developed, leaving investors to assess their potential impact when trading resumes.

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